Sarrita King & Tarisse King 2016

When new visitors first approach the latest paintings by sisters Sarrita King and Tarisse King, we see them stand close to the canvas, trying to pick out the many veils of dots that cover the surface. There is a sense that the imagery that emerges from those multi layered dots must carry the secret of how they were created. The veils of dots show through each other, creating a shifting surface of colour and movement. Only by standing back can we more clearly see the elements of the design, the structure and the whole composition.

Sarrita King’s Ancestors paintings show the surface of Country, the tracks and migrations made by her people following water and animals and food. The tracks show the maze of human activity over seasons and years, the cumulative history of people interacting with their Country. The diminishing boundaries of the waterholes are shown in the Dry season and the moving of campsite locations reflects the seasonal changes.

Tarisse King paints the iconic salt lakes of central Australia, collecting any seasonal rainfall, but coloured by the red dust that surrounds the lakes. The fusion of the blues and greys with the pink tint of the dust creates a mirage of colour, similar to the mirage of light that reflects off these flat salt pans.

Sarrita and Tarisse King find new ways to create the shimmer of Country and the tracks that are embedded in it, using the dot painting technique of the Australian inland and giving it vitality and intensity. The latest paintings by the King sisters will be exhibited at Japingka Gallery from 8 April to 30 May 2016.

View: Sarrita King Nampin Artworks

View: Tarisse King Nampin Artworks